The present invention relates to a service of backing up data recorded in an electronic appliance such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) recorder, which is used for recording TV programs and the like, to an online backup service system via the Internet, and, if the HDD recorder malfunctions, recovering the data recorded in the HDD recorder using the data backed up to the online backup service system in addition to repairing the HDD recorder at a repair plant.
Conventionally, technology of backing up data in a PC to an external recording medium, replacing the HDD when the HDD in the PC malfunctions, and restoring the backed up data in the PC is widely known. Remote copy technology of copying data among storage apparatuses is also widely known.
Meanwhile, if the HDD recorder malfunctions, the HDD recorder is returned to the user in a status where only the hardware is repaired, and in most cases the data that was stored in the HDD recorder is lost. In this case, the user has no choice but to acquire the backup data from a media or an online storage, and use such acquired data to recover the data that was stored in the HOD recorder. Users of an HDD recorder do not all have a good command of the PC or storage apparatus, and there are users who are unfamiliar with the handling of electronic appliances. Thus, it would be much more convenient for the user if the data recovery process of HDD recorders is performed by an engineer of the repair plant together with the repair of the HDD recorder.